The Demonic Highwayman
by RizuMcButt
Summary: While Inuyasha is away, a group of formidible demon-hunters capture Kagome. They use her as bait to attract their prey, but can she stop them from ambushing Inuyasha when he returns? From "The Highwayman", if you've ever read/heard it.
1. Chapter One

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The Highwayman 

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Disclaimer: Alfred Noyes owns the poem. He DID write it, I just that gives him rights, doesn't it? And Loreena McKennitt owns the song, which I am currently listening to. And *sigh* whoever owns Inuyasha owns Inuyasha. And it sure ain't me. Do I own anything??? Well, I guess I own my _Canadian Bacon of Holiness..._

I tried this once about to year ago, making the poem into a story, that is, and failed miserably. But I have better ideas this time, so I hope it is more successful. 

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The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,

The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,

The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,

And the highwayman came riding-

Riding-riding-

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. 

He'd a French cocked hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,

A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doeskin; 

They fitted with never a wrinkle, his boots were up to the thigh! 

And he rode with a jeweled twinkle, 

His pistol butts a-twinkle,

His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jeweled sky. 

##### 

A flash of crimson and white flitted through the moonlit forest as the half demon sprinted silently through the dark woods, intent on his destination. He wanted to reach Kagome before he left to look for another shard of the Shirkon jewel. She had wanted to know when he was going to be back. Apparently, she had some surprise for him. He grinned briefly. Although he would never let on, he liked her surprises. 

He shook his head, letting the long white locks fall freely in the rushing wind. The sooner he got this over with, the sooner he would be back. 

As he ran, the only sound of the night was the rattle of the battered old sword in its sheath and the quiet jingle of his necklace. Amber eyes glinted with fierce joy in a pool of starlight, and then he was gone through the woods. 

##### 

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Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,

And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;

He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there

But the landlord's black eyed daughter, 

Bess, the landlord's daughter,

Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair. 

And in the dark old inn yard a stable-wicket creaked

Where Tim the 'ostler listened; his face was white and peaked.

His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like moldy hair,

But he loved the landlord's daughter,

The landlord's red-lipped daughter.

Dumb as a dog he listened, he heard the robber say- 

##### 

Finally Inuyasha reached the village. He made his way quietly to Kagome's house, careful not to disturb anyone. 

Especially not Shippo. The last thing he needed right now was some annoying little fox cub underfoot. 

He knocked gently on the window frame and waited. There was no answer. 

"Kagome!" he hissed, "Are you awake?" 

Her pale face appeared at the window. She smiled kindly at him and leaned on her elbows out the window. It was then that he noticed the red ribbons she had tied into her hair. They fluttered in the breeze like miniature flags; a stream of blood mixed in with the midnight of her hair. 

He pointed up at her hair and the ribbons plaited into it. "What's that for?"

"For you, I guess." She shrugged, still smiling, "As a sign of my gratitude."

He cocked his head, not understanding, but she waved a hand. "Nevermind. So when will you be back?"

The two of them were unaware of a dark presence lurking in the bushes not five feet away. Its burning eyes seemed angry pits into the Abyss as they stared at the figures. Long bony fingers clenched and unclenched at the sight of a demon so close by, but it waited patiently. It would need the rest of its troop to bring down this one. 

##### 

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"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,

But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;

Yet if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,

Then look for me by the moonlight, Watch for me by the moonlight,

I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though Hell should bar the way." 

He rose upright in his stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand, 

But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand

As the black cascade of her perfume came tumbling over his breast; 

And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,

(Oh sweet waves in the moonlight!)

And he tugged at his reign in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West. 

##### 

"It should only take the day to kill whatever creature thinks it can keep the shard, so I'll be back by tomorrow morning." 

Kagome nodded, then frowned. "But, Inuyasha, what about the Rifles?"

He sneered with contempt, "What, those idiots? They can try to kill me, but you know they'll never succeed. They're so lame, I doubt they could kill a dead cat."

Kagome wasn't convinced, "I don't know, you might speak of them that way, but they HAVE killed a few other demons. Fairly powerful ones, I might add." He shrugged, "Well, if they give me any trouble, then I'll see you tomorrow night. No matter what they think they can do, I'll be back by at least tomorrow night. Watch for me." 

"Ok Inuyasha," she smiled, "Hurry back!" 

Grinning mischievously, he reached up with a quick hand and tugged loose a ribbon. Clutching it, he rushed into the dark forest, laughing at her cry of anger. 

"Inuyasha!" she wailed, "Give me that back!" 

He winked over his shoulder, "You might get it tomorrow–if you're lucky!"

As she watched his form disappearing to the west, she shook her head and drew back into the house. A small smile flitted over her features when she was safely back in the shadows. "Sure, Inuyasha."

Ok, I shall add more to this sooner or later. Sooner than later depending on how many reviews I get. Please review!


	2. Chapter Two

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The Highwayman

Disclaimer: Don't own The Highwayman, or Inuyasha. So lemme alone to sulk in my little cloud of not-owningness. 

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The first chapter was in different format than the rest will be, just so you know. The rest will be a few stanzas at the beginning, and then the story. 

And thanks for all yer reviews! Now, because I am feeling annoying, I will answer/comment on them. Skip ahead if you are a normal person and that is boring to you. 

KougaijiKaziya wrote: duuuude.... ^_^ I like. Great idea, using that song/poem. Question: are you doing an AU thing here? 'cause otherwise calling the demon-exterminators the "Rifles" is a bit anachronistic. ::shrug:: I like! Write more! Onegai? ::puppy eyes::

Glad you like it, and yeah, I suppose it is a little AU, but not too much. But if you hadn't pointed that out to me (and made me look ' anachronistic' up in the dictionary!) then it would be much more. But as it is, you made me think about that a bit, and this is my conclusion. Hope it works for Ye of the Big Words. 

IsleofSolitude said: ooooooh, very nice! update soon! who was watching them? And what are the Rifles? Must...read..more!

BWAHAHA!! YE SHALL NEVER KNOW!!! Until this chapter anyway. 

And most of the rest were from people who know the poem, and if I copied them here it would likely give it away. So, now onto the story!

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He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon;

And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon,

When the road is a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,

A red-coat troop came marching-

Marching- marching-

King George's men came marching, up to the old inn door.

They spoke not a word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead,

But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed;

Two of them knelt at her casement with muskets at their side!

There was death at every window, and Hell at one dark window;

For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride. 

They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest;

They bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!

"Now keep good watch!" and they kissed her. She heard the dead man say-

Look for me by the moonlight;

Watch for me by the moonlight;

I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though hell should bar the way!

#####

Kagome awoke early the next morning and peered hopefully out the window into the West. There was no sign of Inuyasha. She sighed with disappointment, and turned away from the view. Her little "surprise" would just have to wait a little longer. He would be back soon enough. 

Yawning, she turned over in her bed and tried to fall back asleep, but it wouldn't come. Now that she had woken, it seemed fruitless to try and reverse the process. Besides, sleeping was for the nighttime. Now it was day and there was much to be done. ((A/N: this sentence just makes me shudder. It is the complete opposite of how I think. Sleeping is for the weak! If you have to do it at all, do it in the day. Night is when you're supposed to be active!))

Climbing out of bed, the raven haired girl stretched, yawned again, and left the room, looking for Shippo. Maybe he could entertain her while she waited for Inuyasha's return.

***

All throughout the day Kagome would glance hopefully towards the West, and when no one appeared out of the forest, sigh and go back to her business. Those around her could not help but notice her distraction, and smiled secretly to themselves. 

Finally, as the sun sank below the horizon, Kagome sent one last glance towards its dying rays and went inside. She had to curb her impatience for now. Inuyasha _would_ be back, sooner or later. She paused on the steps however, when a faint rustling in the nearby brush caught her attention. 

"Hello? Inuyasha?"

There was no response. 

She waited for a minute, thinking that the half demon was toying with her, but no further sounds came from the area. With a shrug, she turned and went inside. 

As soon as the girl disappeared, eight dark forms slunk from their various hiding spots around the quiet village. With a silent signal, the shadows crept towards Kagome's hut, and distinct a distinct metallic click echoed around them. Inside her dwelling, Kagome looked up at the sound. 

"Inuyasha!" she called, "I know you're out there!"

There were footsteps approaching the door and she smiled. So it _was _him! Finally!

She stood with a smile and looked at the door, waiting for Inuyasha to throw it open moodily and wander over to the fireside. 

When the door was thrown open however, it was not Inuyasha. 

***

Kagome stared fearfully at the men surrounding her. They had over-powered her almost instantly, quickly and efficiently tied her to her bed post, and even stuck a gag in her mouth! And everything had been done completely silently. None in the surrounding huts had heard. She wiggled her hands behind her, but it was no use. The knots were done by an expert. 

As the apparent leader stepped up to her, she studied him. He was dressed in crisp red, from head to toe. There was a flowing crimson scarf covering his features, but Kagome could still see his hard, emotionless eyes. 

He held a long stick under his right arm, and she couldn't help but notice the similarities between it and a modern-day gun. She shivered slightly. How she hated guns. 

He leaned on it and leered at her, a horrible, emotionless sneer just visible through the claret gauze. She stared up at him defiantly, though inside she was quivering. What was he going to do to her? Why was he here? And when would Inuyasha be back? He could easily get rid of these men. 

"Who are you?" she tried to say, but only a muffled squeak emerged from the gag. 

He smiled again, seeming to understand her question. 

"I'm sure you are wondering, young lady, why we have entered your dwelling. Is that so?" 

She only glared at him in response, but he shrugged and continued. 

"Kaishi here," he gestured to one of the men standing behind him, "Has been watching your demon friend for quite some time." 

Kagome looked at the man the leader had pointed out. He had a mad, crazed look about him, insanity shining in his dark eyes. Oily, listless long hair protruded in odd angles from the crimson scarf over his face, and his skin was as pale as any corpse's. He grinned at her too, but his was even more unnerving than the leader's. She shuddered and turned back to the first man. 

"Well, when my dear scout Kaishi saw the demon's feelings for you, he realized that you would make an excellent hostage. He needed only to wait for the right moment. And when your friend left without you, he found it," the man grinned a third time, looking this time like a cat playing with a cornered mouse. 

"And so, when your demon comes back from his… quest, we will be ready."

Kagome's eyes must have reflected her confusion, for the man explained further.

"Forgive my lack of manners in not introducing myself. I am Chuutou, and this is my group: the Rifles. We travel the land, killing demons and all those in league with them. Unfortunately, that puts you and your friend on our list of those who must die. No hard feelings, right?"

Kagome's eyes widened at this, then narrowed. Who did these people think they were? There was nothing she hated more than vigilantes with weapons. 

"Right. And I'm sure you're wondering about this little contraptions," he hefted the gunnish looking thing in his hands proudly. "These were given to us by a wise and powerful alchemist. Very strong magic. I simply pull this little lever here, and it emits a blast and a ball of led at speeds so fast they can pass through a demon's body, leaving only a bloody hole to tell of its presence. Impressive, ne? The mighty alchemist gave us these tools on one condition: we become the Rifles, and kill all demons. And that is why we are here." 

Kagome blinked in surprise at him, for a number of reasons. He had just described a modern gun, give or take a few details. Who exactly was the alchemist that had made these? And why would he want all demons dead? 

She was shaken from her thoughts when Chuutou knelt beside her. He swiftly bound the gun to her, its barrel just below her heart. She started. What was he doing now? 

"Ah, my dear, no worries. I shall simply leave this with you to make sure you don't try to escape. Now just sit here like a good girl until the demon comes. Then we will have no further use for you, and we can release you into death. Now come, men, into hiding until the demon arrives!" 

As the Rifles retreated, Kagome closed her eyes. In her mind, she replayed her last conversation with Inuyasha. 

"_I'll see you tomorrow night_," he had said, bold tones ringing with confidence, "_No matter what they think they can do, I'll be back by at least tomorrow night. Watch for me._"

A worried frown crossed her normally unlined face and her skin visibly paled. But it was not herself she was worried about. What was going to happen to Inuyasha?

***

Oh-h-h-h… I am so full of raisins. I can't eat another bite. 

Yea… my step-mom gave me raisins for Christmas. Six boxes of them. She loves me! 

Anyway, sorry it took so incredibly long to finish this. I was stuck on the sentence ' As the Rifles retreated, Kagome closed her eyes' I had no idea what to do after that! I knew I was close to the end, I _just couldn't finish it!_ GAAHH!! But it's done now. Praise Rah. 

Please review! Cause then I shall-ith be happy and not come to kill ye with bloody sporks and koalas! 


	3. Chapter Three

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The Highwayman

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Disclaimer: Garg. Don't own. Scquesh. Breh. **_x.x_**;

I would answer reviews here, but I have been grounded again from the internet. For not folding clothes. Wonderful life, ne?

#####

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She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!  
She writhed her hands till here fingers were wet with sweat or blood!  
They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like  
years,  
Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,  
Cold, on the stroke of midnight,  
The tip of one figure touched it! The trigger at least was hers!

  
The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest!  
Up, she stood up to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast,  
She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;  
For the road lay bare in the moonlight;  
Blank and bare in the moonlight;  
And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her love's refrain.

Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot_! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;  
_Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot_, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?  
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,  
The highwayman came riding,  
Riding, riding!  
The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up strait and still!_

#####

Kagome desperately tried to loosen her bindings, but it was no use. As small as her wrists were, there was no getting out of the ropes. But no matter the situation, human kind's strongest weapon is hope; and so she continued through the night, wiggling her hands, straining her fingers, jerking the rope. She worked so hard that she didn't notice the warm liquid flowing freely from her chafed wrists, and even if she did, she wouldn't have cared. There was only one thought on her mind. She had to warn Inuyasha!

Kagome was jolted out of her concentration by a loud bang. At first her heart stopped, and she thought that Inuyasha had been spotted and shot at, and it took her a moment to realize it was not a gun that made the noise. 

In her distraction, the girl's foot had kicked out and knocked the bedpost, hard. She froze and looked around the room fearfully. Had any of the Rifles heard? Were they suspicious? Were they coming to check on her? 

She waited a few minutes, but no one appeared in her room. Breathing a sigh of relief, Kagome realized that she would have to be _much _quieter. At any moment a Rifle could hear even the faintest scuffling and come to check on her. If they discovered her intent they might retighten her binds, or worse. She shuddered to think of what that 'worse' might be, and vowed not to find out. 

In her pack across the room, her digital watched beeped quietly. Midnight. She had been here for hours, and yet it felt already like an eternity. Suddenly she had it. The trigger! Her finger rested on the trigger!

She swallowed nervously and lay back against her post, exhausted. But now she had her means of warning Inuyasha. Even if she couldn't free herself, surely the bang would alert him to the presence of the Rifles, or at least that _something _was amiss. And as long as Inuyasha was safe, what did she matter? 

She closed her dark eyes wearily, and sat. She listened to the night sounds, knowing that this was probably the last time she would ever have the chance. 

The soft creak of ancient tree trunks swaying to their ancient dance in the even older wind; the earthly rustle of leaves, quietly speaking to one another in their gentle dialect. The crickets, as they sung their ritual lullaby into the dark of the night. The eerie _treeeeh, treeeeh _of humming cicadas, once annoying, was now its own unique composition, unsurpassed by any human musicians. 

The soft caress of the wind through the open window teased at her hair, played with her inky locks. Although it chilled her, it brought her hope and a new sense of life. She might end here, no longer knowing the wonders of the world, but all would go on after she was gone. 

Many nights she had prayed in the sanctity of her room, and never before had she any proof that anyone was listening, but now she was certain that something was out there. Something comforted her now, reassuring her that all was well in the world. She smiled slightly, and opened her eyes, filled with a new sense of serenity. 

Her straining ears caught a sound outside. Instantly her blood froze. _It was Inuyasha. He was coming. _

The quiet _cree, cree, cree_ of his footsteps in the leaves outside was deafeningly loud in the silence, and she wondered how the Rifles could not hear him. 

But now she knew what she had to do. She stood a little straighter, breathed a little deeper, and spoke her last words. 

"Inuyasha…" 

O-o-o-o-h, the ultimate cliffy! Yeah, I'm good! 

Sorry for the shortness of the chapter, but this part isn't so very detailed. I'll make up for it in the coming chapters, so hold tight! And the next will be up soon, I'm sure. I'm on a brain-splurge, and writing is just poring out of me. Whether it's actually _good _or not is for you to decide. So please review! 

And special thanks to the anonymous reviewer 'Inuficcrzy' who pointed out to me that the last chapter was all screwed up. Somehow the computer left in all the HTML tags, and it looked like CRAP!! So I reposted it, thanks to Inuficcrzy, because I probably would have never gotten around to checking it. Thanks Inuficcrzy!


	4. Chapter Four

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The Highwayman

Disclaimer: Don't own. My Rah, this is annoying!

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Inconsistencies. Don't you love them? For example, I can never seem to keep a story in the same format. Another example, why is my story called "The Demonic Highwayman", and yet titled "The Highwayman"? Oh well. It's too late and I'm too lazy to change it now. So there. 

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Tlot-tlot_, in the frosty silence! _Tlot-tlot_, in the echoing night!  
Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!  
Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,  
Then her finger moved in the moonlight,  
Her musket shattered the moonlight,  
Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him-with her death._

#####

Inuyasha walked slowly among the freshly fallen leaves, enjoying the scent of autumn. His footsteps echoed in the chill of the moonlit night, and he was blissfully unaware of what awaited him. 

Kagome looked up at a faint sound nearby. Her heart stopped for a moment. Was it Inuyasha? Out of her window, she could just barely see the forest, and in the dark it was difficult to make out any shapes. Every shadow caught her eye, stilled her breathing. Every movement, real or imagined, made her tense, wondering if it was time. 

Suddenly she caught a glimpse of white walking slowly through the trees. That was him! She was sure of it! Now she had only to wait until the perfect moment…

A movement in the shadows to the left of her window caught her eye in the darkness. A Rifle! There was a slight metallic click, probably the equivalent of cocking a gun in her own time. She swallowed nervously. To say the moment was tense was a grave understatement. 

The sound of footsteps brought her attention back to Inuyasha, and she knew, instinctively, that it was time. 

She closed her eyes, praying to whoever was listening that it would work, that Inuyasha would know to escape. She opened her eyes, and a calm fell over her. Now…

Ok, I know, I know, incredibly short chapter. Sorry! I hope to get the next one out really fast. But hey, _you _try writing four stories at once! 


	5. Chapter Five

**The Highwayman**

** **

**Disclaimer: **Errr… breh! law enforcementy person: Hey, what kind of disclaimer was that?? Avatar: Er…….. Hai? 

Ok, grounded from the internet again. Grah, what is it, the third time since the beginning of the story? Oh, whatever. It was the hamster's fault. Always the hamster. 

#####

He turned; he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood  
Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!  
Not till the dawn he heard it, his face grew grey to hear  
How Bess, the landlord's daughter,  
The landlord's black-eyed daughter,  
Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.

#####

Inuyasha was just about to jump onto Kagome's roof for a surprise entrance, when an incredibly loud sound echoed through the night. He jumped in surprise, eyes widening. What was that? He immediately jumped into a nearby tree and looked around warily. 

Apparently, he was not the only one to have heard it. Loud curses filled the air as strange men hidden around Kagome's house emerged. Inuyasha blinked in surprise, and then anger. What were these men doing near Kagome? He was about to jump from his perch, chase these idiots, but something stopped him. 

A villager stepped from his house, awakened by the rumble. He looked around blearily and spotted the strange men. Heading towards them, perhaps thinking to ask them if they had heard the boom, he failed to see one of them point at him with a stick. 

Inuyasha snorted. What were they going to do? Poke the guy to death? Yet, still something held him back. He sat in the tree, hidden by its branches and waited. 

There was another loud bang, and something flew from the stick faster than the eye could see. In the next instant, the men dropped to the ground and the air reeked of spilt blood. 

This brought out more villagers, and one by one they all dropped to the ground with bangs. 

What was this? What was going on? 

He watched for a few more moments, but Kagome did not emerge with the rest. He breathed a sigh of relief. She must be gone to the stream for a drink or something. He jumped away, going to look for her. The others did not matter to him, he needed to reassure himself that Kagome was alright. 

***

Kagome stood in the same spot, head drooping as if tired. At first glance, it would appear that the girl had simply grown weary and leaned against her bedpost, but a closer inspection would disprove this guess. 

For no resting person could ever hope to wake up with such a large, bleeding hole in his or her chest. Anyone who _did _fall asleep in that condition would never wake up. But Kagome was not sleeping; never had been. 

Her long black hair blew softly in the night breeze, but the wide staring eyes did not take notice. Never again would they notice anything in this world. 

As the blood pooled around her lifeless feet, her lover grew farther and farther away, disappearing into the dark of the night. 

***

Ok, I have officially finished the story. So I'll upload another chapter every two days until chapter seven, 'cause that's the last. As always, please review!


	6. Chapter Six

**The Highwayman**

**Disclaimer: **Ah screw it. I don't own Inuyasha or the Highwayman. 

Nothing to say, except thank you to the people who reviewed. And yeah, I memorized the whole poem, and then my teacher made me recite it for the class. Not only did it scar me (and them) for life, but also it is now firmly imprinted on my brain for all eternity. 

#####

Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,  
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!  
Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat,  
When they shot him down on the highway,  
Down like a dog on the highway,  
And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat.

#####

Inuyasha sat in a tree, looking out over the horizon. Where was Kagome? Though you would never believe it from looking at his face, worry gnawed at his insides, churning them with fear. Where was the stupid girl?

The snapping of a twig below him quickly brought his attention to the ground, hoping for Kagome, but no such luck. He frowned down at his visitor. 

"What is it, Shippo?" he asked with a sigh. He noticed the kitsune's ragged appearance and torn clothing, but took no note of it, as the kid usually looked like that. 

"Inuyasha!" Shippo shrieked. The youkai's ear flicked with annoyance. Why did Shippo always have to sound so irritating? He turned away from him, dismissing him with a 'feh'. 

"Inuayashaaaaa!" the young demon persisted, until Inuyasha looked down at him with a grimace. 

"Shut up already, Shippo! I don't care what interesting bug you found!"

"No!" yelled Shippo, and it was only then Inuyasha noticed that tears rolled down his face, tracking courses down his dirty face. "It's not that, Inuyasha! It… it's Kagome!"

_"What?!" _Instantly Inuyasha had  dropped to the ground and held Shippo by the shoulders. He shook him hard, yelling, "What about Kagome! Speak, damn you!" 

"She—she…" Shippo's voice caught, and the white haired half demon begun to suspect that something was very wrong. He set Shippo, putting on a rare display of patience. 

"What happened to Kagome, Shippo?"

He looked up at Inuyasha, eyes watering. "They got her, Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha frowned and felt the chill heart of fear grip his heart. "Who got her? Is she ok?"

Shippo shook his head. "No, Inuyasha… she… she…" he could go no farther. He flung himself into Inuyasha, who winced, but didn't pull away. 

"It is true, Inuyasha." 

He looked up to see the Lady Kaede, leaning heavily upon a walking stick, enter the small clearing. He hastily pulled away, leaving Shippo shaking in a ball on the ground. 

"What? What happened?"

Kaede looked grim. "They came, Inuyasha, while you were gone. They bound Kagome to her bed, hoping to use her as bait to lure you in. But somehow she twisted their magical stick around, and fired it."

Inuyasha frowned. A definite note of fear tainted his voice now. "W-what? 'Magical stick'? Is she ok?"

"These men, Rifles, as they call themselves, were sent by a powerful archmage. They have magical sticks that spit fire and lead, hard and fast enough to tear through anything. Including a body. Kagome fired this upon your arrival, knowing that it would warn you to escape." 

Inuyasha could only stare at the old woman is shock. "So… she…"

Kaede nodded. "She is dead, Inuyasha." 

Red clouded the half demon's vision. "No! It can't be! That stupid girl… NO! I won't let her die!"

"It is too late, Inuyasha, she is gone!"

But Inuyasha didn't hear her. Before she had even stopped talking he was up in the trees, racing back to the village. 

***

He did not notice, as he drew closer to the village, the eerie silence of the trees. No birds sung, no animals roamed. Not a living soul was to be found. Be he didn't notice. He could think of only one thing. _I must get to Kagome!_

In his wild state, he did not hear the quiet click of the rifle, nor did he see the man dressed in red carefully take aim. He did not see the terrible, cold eyes staring at him down the barrel of the gun, and not until the trees echoed with a boom did he even notice he was not alone.

He turned to meet this new foe, but it was too late. He felt the great ball of metal tear through his skin and enter his body. It burned hotter that any forge's fire, and his whole chest seemed to be wrapped in fire. Now a red filled his vision that he knew what not caused by anger. 

He sank slowly to his knees and watched in silent disbelief as his life's blood pooled around his feet. He reached out to touch it as if that could bring it back. "No… I have to reach Kagome… she needs me."

He was barely aware of a man laughing as he stepped up to him. He felt a blow to the side of his head, and he realized it was a booted kick as he lay on the ground, stunned from it. He looked up weakly to meet the gaze of his killer. But he couldn't see… it was too dark. 

Dimly he saw two holes being pointed at his face, and as he stared at them, he felt nothing, only regret that he could not take out the one that had killed Kagome as he died. Through the deafening silence, he heard a single sentence. 

"Naraku says goodbye… half demon scum."

The loud explosion of lead was the last thing he ever heard, and a bitter sorrow was the last that he ever felt. _Kagome… I'm sorry. _

***

She sad, still form of the boy lay crumpled in the grass where he had fallen. His long white hair blew softly in the breeze, almost making his look peaceful. His face was as pale as death, and despite the holes in his chest and head, he looked as if he could open his eyes and start yelling again. 

Or at least that's what Shippo thought. He gazed sadly at Inuyasha, tears once more filling his eyes. 

"Oh Inuyasha.. why did you have to go back? I always thought I could count on you, even if you never really seemed to like me. But now you're gone. Both of you are. And I'm alone again."

With a last sniff, the kitsune cub turned away from the corpse. "Well… goodbye Inuyasha. I hope to see you again." He smiled, ever so slightly. "Maybe then I'll be big enough to beat on _you_…"

Awww! That was hard to write! I hate killing my favorite characters. Kagome was the easiest, and though I didn't want Inuyasha to die, I think Shippo was the hardest. Aww! Whyyy did he have to be left all alllloooonnnneee? *Cries in her little corner of authoressy cornerness.*

Oh, right. And it's not over. There's a little epilogue sort of thing for the last few verses. See ya next chapter! Please review! 


	7. Chapter Seven

**The Highwayman**

**Disclaimer: **Ah screw it. I don't own Inuyasha or the Highwayman. 

Know what? This'll be the first story I've ever finished! Duuuude! That's cause for a celebration! *Gets out graham crackers.*

To Keri Maxwell: You hate the poem? That's a shame. Isn't death fun? That's why I love it. Screw happy endings! Death is the way to go! And, do any of my stories have 'nice happy poems'? Lol, afraid not. If I were to obsess over any more poems, they would probably be sad like this one. _But_… if you have any suggestions… *Looks hopeful.*

#####

_And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,  
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,  
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,  
A highwayman comes riding-  
Riding-riding-  
A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door._

  
_Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard,  
And he taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred;  
He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there  
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,  
Bess, the landlord's daughter,  
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair._

#####

The wind whistled through the trees, and the moon shone bright upon the empty village. No people lived here anymore. They claimed it was haunted. Ever since that massacre by the mysterious red-coated men fifty years ago, no one had dared come back. Those that dared soon fled, telling wild stories of specters and horrible apparitions. 

None of these tales are true of course. There is only one pair of spirits that dwells here. They appear once a month to reenact their death, and to relive the tragedy that it was. 

It is said, that first a boy, wandering the woods, appears at the edge of the clearing. He makes his way carefully through the rows of decrepit dwellings, as though being careful not to disturb anything. He knocks softy on the rotting remains of a window shutter, and it is then that the other appears. 

She wears long, red ribbons in her hair that flutter in some unfelt wind. The couple exchanges a few words, though none that have seen this can say for sure what they are. Soon the boy in red leaves the window, only to returns a night later. He sits in a tree for a long while as if watching something on the ground before him, then without warning, springs away into the night. 

The next night he returns again, but does not make it as far. He mysteriously falls to the ground, and all can agree on the one word that echoes through the forest when that happens. 

"_Kagome!"_

Ok… NOW it's over. Thank you to all who reviewed this! It really encouraged me to continue. In fact, it encouraged me so much, that I went and finished it. Something that I never thought I'd do with a story. So, thanks again! And to all those lurkers that read this but didn't review: 

Ok, it's the last chapter. Have pity on me? Please review? Even if it's just 'bleh, arglefrast.' at least let me know that you read (and hopefully liked) my story. So…. Goodbye all! 

-Anubis's Avatar


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